Hydrogenated isomaltulose sold under the tradename Palatinit.RTM. by the Palatinit GmbH of Mannheim, Germany, also known as isomalt, is a sugar substitute which can be used in place of sucrose, glucose or similar sugars for the production of foodstuffs. This material may be classified as a carbohydrate, more specifically, as a hydrogenated disaccharide. The production of hydrogenated isomaltulose involves an enzymatic rearrangement of saccharose into a more stable compound known as isomaltulose (tradename Palatinose). Following a purifying crystallization, the isomaltulose is hydrogenated to form the resulting Palatinit which is described as an odorless, white, crystalline, nonhygroscopic substance containing about 5 percent water of crystallization. This material contains approximately 2.1 calories/gm and has a sweetness of about half that of sucrose. The reduced caloric value results from the fact that Palatinit is only partially metabolized, so that its caloric utilization is only 2.1 calorie per gram.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,792,453 there is disclosed a hard coated chewing gum comprising a sugarless chewing gum center having a hard coating comprising hydrogenated isomaltulose preferably in an amount of from 50 to 75 weight percent of the coating.
There is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,840,797 a confectionary or pharmaceutical product having a hard, sugarless coating, comprising xylitol, mannitol or maltitol. Sorbitol is also mentioned in this regard.
Published European Patent Application 0 303 295 A.sub.2 describes a hard candy comprising meso-erythritol as the main component together with other saccharides such as sucrose, glucose, thick malt syrup, fructose, and isomerized sugars as well as palatinose and isomaltose.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,587,119 discloses the use of isomaltulose as a total or partial substitute for sucrose in the preparation of food and pharmaceutical products for human or animal consumption. This patent mentions orally-administered ingested pharmaceutical compositions as well as those which are taken into the mouth but not with the intent of being ingested such as toothpastes, tooth powders, mouth washes, gargles, dental lotions and chewing gums.